Why I love The One Minute Sales Person by Spencer Johnson

When it comes to selling, I personally feel that you should keep it simple and not over-complicate it.

This book is based on reducing stress, time and effort whilst achieving real and lasting sales. It speaks of self-management, the integrity of selling on purpose and the ‘wonderful paradox’ of helping others get what they want.

I am going to keep this book report simple, so we can all refer back to it quickly and efficiently if we ever feel stressed or unprepared.

Game Plan — The quickest way to more sales with less stress

Selling to others.

Let’s start with your purpose, you want to help people feel the feelings they want to feel. Simple. Be a human.

Before the sale
— First, I see other people getting the feelings THEY want. Then I see me getting what I want.
— I study the features and advantages of what I sell - thoroughly and often.
— I see the benefits of what I sell actually helping others get the feelings they want.

During the sale
— I sell the way I and the other person like to buy. I invest time as a PERSON.
— I ask “have” questions and “want” questions.
— The difference is the problem.
— I listen and repeat back what I have heard.
— I honestly relate my service, product, or idea only to what the other person wants to feel.
— The other person closes the sale when he sees he gets the maximum benefits with the minimum personal risk.

After the sale
— I frequently follow up to make sure people are actually feeling good about owning what they bought from me, whether this be a product or a service.
— If there is a problem I help them solve it - and thus; strengthen our relationship.
— When they are feeling good about what they bought, I ask for active referrals.

Selling to yourself. (Yes, this is a thing.)

My one minute goals
— I write out my goals in a single piece of paper in 250 words or less, as though they were already real.
— I read and re-read them in only one minute.
— Each time I re-read my goals I see them as already achieved.

Goals (even partly) achieved.. I win
My one minute praising
— I frequently take a minute to give myself some sales recognition.
— I catch myself doing something right (or approximately right).
— I laugh and enjoy telling myself what I did and how good I feel about it.
— I take the time to feel how good I feel about what I have done.
— I encourage myself to do it again.

Goals not achieved (review goals).. I lose
My one minute reprimands
— I reprimand my behavior when it us unacceptable to me.
— I specifically tell what I did wrong.
— I let myself feel how I feel about what I did (or did not do).
— I remember that I am not what I do.
— I am a valuable human being and I deserve the best behavior from me.
— I get off my back and back on purpose.

Everyone who succeeds is really an effective sales person. People who learn to sell well, will do well in whatever they undertake and a key fact to consider is — behind every sale is a person, you must treat people like people not like a prospect.
Learn your key minutes in your selling style and invest a few minutes in doing those things, that is what will separate the best from the average.

Don’t be an unconscious salesperson.

The wonderful paradox:
“I have more fun and enjoy more financial success when I stop trying to get what I want and start helping other people get what they want.”

Be fully conscious of what you are doing and sell on purpose, help other people get the good feelings they want about what they bought and about themselves. You’ll quickly reduce your stress because you are no longer trying to get people to do what they don’t want to do.

Whenever I am successful I know I have chased consciously or unconsciously to use positive thoughts that created my success.

Do a sales rehearsal beforehand and imagine it going perfectly, walk in the other persons shoes and see it from their point of view. People hate to be sold but love to buy so when you want to remember how to sell, remember how we love to buy. People don’t buy our services, products or ideas. They buy how they imagine using them will make them feel.

Ask questions, listen intently, build a relationship, find a need, close the sale.

After selling on purpose, people feel good about what they bought and about themselves. And so they give referrals. Contact after the sale to make sure they are feeling good, help make things right if they aren’t happy, exceed their expectations, ask for active referrals.

Self-managed selling helps you realize how good you already are, then it let’s you enjoy become even better.

The one minute goals; you become what you think about.
My one minute praising; I help myself realize my sales goals by catching myself doing something right.
My one minute reprimands; whenever I see that my sales behavior is unacceptable to me, I take a minute to reprimand my behavior and to praise myself.

Share what you know with others, that is how you will truly improve.

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